Is This a Hallmark Christmas Movie? Leanet and Sayd's Proposal
I am a member of the Smoky Mountain Photographers group, a collective of local photographers who hold Commercial Use Authorizations (permits) with the National Park Service that allows us to photograph clients within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The website and Instagram account for the group gets inquiries from folks visiting the park, seeking things like family sessions.
And marriage proposals. One request came in from a young Florida man named Sayd who was looking to propose to his lady love, Leanet, on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. That’s a hard call - even photographers have families who expect them to be home for the holidays. But some of us, like me, have adult children, so there is no 5:00 am wake up call to see what Santa brought, and to be honest, everyone except me and the cat sleep in. I am a lifelong predawn riser and I figured, sure - let’s do this!
Sayd and I had a several exchanges about location and timing. It seems he was going to be flying from Florida to Nashville on Christmas Eve, and then driving to Gatlinburg. Okay, that meant it couldn’t happen Christmas Eve - between the trip, time changes (Tennessee is half Central Time, half Eastern Time), and an early winter’s sunset, it just could not be done. So we agreed - a Christmas morning proposal. And, to be safe, one that would be easy to get to. The park rangers want to keep visitors safe but that means road closures are almost guaranteed if there is bad weather, and especially if there is the big three: snow, ice, and wind.
Oh, and as Christmas approached … it looked like all three were going to make their appearance.
In fact, East Tennessee was going to have something it had not seen in 10 years: a white Christmas. Heavy rains on Christmas Eve changed to snow when the temperatures dropped rapidly over the course of the day. At first, the weatherman said we would get “a dusting.” Then “maybe an inch.” Then “2 to 4 inches” in the valley which meant 4 to 8 inches in the mountains. A Winter Storm Warning was issued and I started getting worried - would our brave Floridians be able to get down from their cabin? Heck, would I be able to get down from my hill? What conditions would roads be in?
But . . . SNOW. I mean, it was going to snow. Would the fates smile upon Sayd and Leanet and give them a beautiful setting, with snow falling, on Christmas morning, for the all-out, ultimate romantic marriage proposal?
Ho, ho, ho - yes, yes they would.
Check this out:
Mind you, things got a little dire on Christmas Eve when Leanet and Sayd arrived to find no power at their cabin - and that with temperatures in the teens. They were fortunate and managed to get a hotel room, and I advised them to avoid any back roads to the Greenbrier section of the Smokies, sticking instead to US 441 and US 321. Thankfully, the county workers were out manning the snow plows on those routes and spreading good cheer and salt for the benefit of all.
The snow was still falling when Leanet and Sayd arrived. The Little Pigeon River was roaring. The temperature had managed to climb just past 20 degrees. And hearts were warm!
Of course Leanet said yes. Later, she mentioned she had a scary, fleeting thought that Sayd was bringing her to the river to go white water rafting!
What made Leanet smile so broadly? Hello, anytime a woman gets handed something coming from THE little blue box of that unique shade - yes, Tiffany Blue! - you know she is going to light up like a, well, like a Christmas tree!
And the snow kept coming!
Was this not the. Most. Epic. Christmas proposal EVER?! I was amazed how everything just happened perfectly and these two charmers made the magic happen! Being able to see and capture this makes getting up, lacing up the snow boots, and heading out to the mountains in the predawn dark absolutely worth it! And for these two coming from the land of warm beaches and alligators, the novelty of a white Christmas makes it all the more magical!
Congratulations, Leanet and Sayd - and a very merry Christmas!